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Cryptoad

(8,254 posts)
Mon Nov 10, 2014, 03:04 PM Nov 2014

Why conservative Christians would have hated Jesus

Even as they profess to spread his word, fundamentalists are forgetting Jesus' most important message
Frank Schaeffer, Alternet

Jesus never could have been the pastor of a contemporary evangelical church nor a conservative Roman Catholic bishop. Evangelicals and conservative Roman Catholics thrive on drawing distinctions between their “truth” and other people’s failings. Jesus by contrast, set off an empathy time bomb that obliterates difference.

Jesus’ empathy bomb explodes every time a former evangelical puts love ahead of what the “Bible says.” It goes off every time Pope Francis puts inclusion ahead of dogma. It goes off every time a gay couple are welcomed into a church. Jesus’ time bomb explodes whenever atheists follow Jesus better than most Christians.

Put it this way: Godless non-church-going Denmark mandates four weeks of maternity leave before childbirth and fourteen weeks afterward for mothers. Parents of newborn children are assisted with well-baby nurse-practitioner visits in their homes.

In the “pro-life” and allegedly “family friendly” American Bible belt, conservative political leaders slash programs designed to help women and children while creating a justifying mythology about handouts versus empowerment.


Salon
11 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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ladjf

(17,320 posts)
1. I'm not a Christian person, but anyone with just a bit of familiarity
Mon Nov 10, 2014, 03:13 PM
Nov 2014

with some of Jesus's views can clearly see that the average Republican probably wouldn't have admired him very much.
For openers, they think that any politician who tells the truth is a dope. The list could go on and on.

JEFF9K

(1,935 posts)
2. Points could be scored ...
Mon Nov 10, 2014, 03:22 PM
Nov 2014

Points could be scored by emphasizing how un-Christian the Republican Party is. They get tens-of-millions of votes from people who think they are voting as Jesus would have voted.

bonzo925

(26 posts)
3. i'm skeptical as to whether Christ existed
Mon Nov 10, 2014, 03:29 PM
Nov 2014

and think he might have been a con man if he did. But anyways, most fundies will give you the argument that the state has usurped the role of the church and that things like the UN and the federal government are "golden calfs".

Johonny

(20,856 posts)
11. Jesus was not well liked when he was alive so why do people think he'd be liked now
Tue Nov 11, 2014, 01:42 PM
Nov 2014

The Roman's had no problem seeing Christianity as a cult. Christians were taught (its in the bible) to leave their family, wives, children behind. He certainly is portrayed as an icky cult leader in the Gospels. We only don't see it as icky because well Christianity is (TRUE). There's tons of cult thinking in those early Christian documents.

So yes Jesus would not be well liked by fundies. He would also not be well liked by most Liberals. Some of early Christianity's saying are inspirational but so weren't some of Jim Jones...

JEFF9K

(1,935 posts)
9. A great book dealing with the issue ...
Tue Nov 11, 2014, 12:44 PM
Nov 2014

A great book dealing with the issue is Bruce Bawer's "Stealing Jesus" - one of the best books I have ever read!

 

hrmjustin

(71,265 posts)
5. I am not the best Christian in the world and the Lord knows that I have faults but Republicans
Mon Nov 10, 2014, 03:33 PM
Nov 2014

who claim to be Christian leave a lot to be desired.

Cleita

(75,480 posts)
8. The part about sellng all their possessions and giving the money
Mon Nov 10, 2014, 03:47 PM
Nov 2014

to the poor certainly wouldn't have gone down well. Also, early Christian congregations were communistic as was Jesus and his followers. They pooled their resources and kept a common purse to share everything they had with one another. I can't see our mega church denizens doing anything like that.

Nye Bevan

(25,406 posts)
10. Remember that time Jesus condemned homosexuality?
Tue Nov 11, 2014, 12:59 PM
Nov 2014

How about the time he endorsed the death penalty?

Me neither, because he didn't.

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